Ahwatukee resident Chris Scott Christman pleaded guilty to multiple felonies in the murder of three people last year.

Christman, 31, pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree murder, three counts of armed robbery and one count of misconduct with a weapon, all felony charges, according to a press release from the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

In July 2024, Phoenix Fire responded to a call at 48^th Street and Warren Road and noticed the fire was coming from a unit with the door unlocked. There were three dead individuals in the unit’s bedroom and Phoenix Police later took over the scene, according to the release.

In their investigation, Phoenix Police found one individual was stabbed and the others suffered fatal gunshot wounds, according to a press release. The individuals killed were Merissa Honeycutt, Samuel Lott, and Anthony Frederickson Ceccarelli, according to the release.

Police found Christman’s blood at the scene as well as text messages and location data suggesting Christman and an accomplice planned a drug-related robbery before the murders took place.

Officials believe Christman set the fire.

“This was a particularly vicious act with one victim being stabbed nearly 30 times,” said County Attorney Rachel Mitchell in the release. “This defendant tried to cover his tracks by setting the crime scene on fire. I’m grateful to the Phoenix Police Department for their investigative work, and our prosecutors who made sure he was unable to escape justice.”